Standard
3-- Measure: Students will understand mathematics and become mathematically
confident by communicating and reasoning mathematically, by applying mathematics
in real-world settings, and by solving problems through the in intergrated
study of number systems, geometry, algebra, data analysis.
Probability and trigonometry.

Benchmark
Standards:Content Standards:

Standard 2--
Students use information technology to retrieve process, and communicate
information and as a tool to enhance learning.

Standard 3--
Students use mathematical modeling/multiple representation to provide
a means of presenting, interpreting, communicating, and connecting
mathematical information and relationships.

Performance
Standards:

Standard 2--
Students use spreadsheets and data-base software to collect, process,
display, and analyze information. Students access needed information
from electronic data bases and on line telecommunication services.

Standard 3--
Students will represent numerical relationships in one- and two- dimensional
graphs.

Content
Standards or Outcomes:
Students will collect, organize and compare data using tally sheets, frequency
tables and various types of graphs-- bar graphs, pictographs, line graphs,
and circle graphs. Students will know the best use for each type
of graph: a bar graph to show accurate comparisons; a line graph to show
changes over time; a circle graph to compare the relationship of the parts
to the whole; a pictograph to show comparisons at a glance, and not as
an accurate source of information.

Performance
Measures:

Students will
choose a topic to survey, prepare the questions take a survey, make
a tally sheet and frequency table and accurately graph the results
on the proper graph. The rubric for the graphing activities
is on a separate sheet.

Students will
also complete a graphing assessment with six questions. The
assessment will be scored as follows: six correct indicates mastery,
five indicates proficiency of the subject matter, four or three correct
indicate the student is in a developing stage, two correct indicates
the student is a novice and needs more instruction, and one or none
correct means the child has no knowledge graphing.

Enabling Activities:
The following is a ten day plan for the students to learn about graphing.
The graphs may be computer generated in Excel or on paper by the students.
One suggestion may be to alternate groups working on the computer with
some groups creating their graphs on paper. The first investigative
activity allows the students to discover tally sheets, frequency tables,
and types of graphs.

Activity
One: This activity should take 3 days. The teacher divides the
class into groups of four students and states the following:

We
are having a sixth grade ice cream party. We need to know which
flavor of ice cream and toppings are the most popular. The store
sells vanilla, mint chip, cookies and cream, and rocky road ice cream.
The topping choices are hot fudge, marshmallow, sprinkles, M&M's and
whipped cream. What do the sixth graders like? Each student
may choose only one ice cream flavor and one topping.Tally your information, organize your data and graph your results.
You may use the computer to show your outcomes.

Discuss
how they organized their information- using a tally sheet, frequency table
(numbers should be in ascending or descending order), and the types of
graphs they chose (bar, circle or pictograph). Some groups will
make 2 graphs; some will make one bar graph using separate bars.

Have
the children find the most popular choice of ice cream and topping (which
occurred most often); this is an opportunity to introduce mode.

Activity Two: This is a two day activity. The children need
time to interview each other and create a graph. Divide the students
into groups of two and state the following:

You
will interview your partner to find out how he/she spends his/her day,
be sure to include activities for the whole 24 hours (which means sleep
time as well). Graph your results. Discuss which type of graph
they produced; which type is the best to depict the information gathered.
The children should choose a circle graph. This is an opportunity
to introduce range.

Activity Three: This activity integrates the sixth grade
social studies curriculum with the math curriculum. This should
be assigned on the first day of the unit. The children need time to gather
the information from the newspaper. I chose the stocks form the
local newspaper because more children have access to it. The three stocks
are in bold print so the students can easily locate them. The data
should be recorded in Excel each day. The students should record
both the stock price and the price change, but should graph only the stock
prices. When graphing, the page setup should be Landscape to ensure
that all the data fits on one page. A sample graph is on an attached
sheet. State the following:

I have
just hired you as my stockbroker. I require your advice on which
of the three stocks I am interested in / should purchase. They are
on the New York Stock Exchange. The stocks are. Using the
newspaper follow their growth over a 5 day period beginning today.
Record your results on the sheet provided. This is to be brought
to school every day. We will be graphing the results next week.

When
the information is compiled, the students will graph the results.
Which stock should I buy? Why? Which type of graph depicts
the information most accurately (line graph- using three different lines)?
This is an opportunity to practice range by comparing the highest and
lowest cost.

Activity Four.- This activity, which is attached, is from the Harcourt
Brace math series and should last one class period. Follow the directions
on the page.
Children make a graph in the spaces provided on the sheet.

Activity Five: This integrated science-health lesson adapted from
a Holt Science lesson should take approximately one class period.
However, you should assign this a few days before you plan to have the
students graph the data, so they are able to gather the information.
If you enter this into the computer, distribute the file to each student.
State the following:

You
are going to take a Smoking Survey. Use the questionnaire below
as a model and ask adults if they agree or disagree with the questions.
You may create your own questions as well. Then compile your data
and create a table in Excel and enter your information on it.

Activity Six: In this activity the students will have an opportunity
to utilize what they have learned from the previous activities.
They will follow the directions on the attached sheet. This activity
will take a few days because they must conduct a survey of their own choosing,
but with teacher approval. Each group must survey a different topic.
The children will work in pairs to create the survey and graph, and present
their results to the class. If you enter this into the computer,
distribute the file to each student.

MOST OF THE FOLLOWING ACTIVITIES ARE COPYRIGHTED & CANNOT BE REPRODUCED